SEATTLE, Wash. — Washington Governor Bob Ferguson announced a state rapid response team Monday to try and help families of those impacted by President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
The Family Separation Rapid Response Team, which Ferguson created through an executive order, will be housed within the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).
It will be comprised of professionals within DCYF, Washington State Patrol, the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, the Attorney General’s Office, and representatives of the Governor’s Office.
The team will work to make sure children who are separated from their families continue to have someone to care for them and have uninterrupted access to education, consult with regional and local experts on immigration and child welfare, and develop policies aimed at supporting children who experience family separation.
Governor Ferguson ordered the rapid response team to hold its first meeting by Feb. 14.
“My administration will do everything possible to address the harms caused by a mass deportation and detention program,” Ferguson said. “That includes making sure kids who are torn away from their parents have someone to care for them and uninterrupted access to their education,” Ferguson said in a news release.
The Family Separation Rapid Response Team will be in regular contact with the Governor’s Office to share its findings and recommendations as work progresses.
In an effort to curb unlawful immigration, the president issued an executive order shortly after being sworn in for his second term. The order drew immediate legal challenges across the country, with at least five lawsuits being brought by 22 states.
Last week, a judge issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the administration from enforcing or implementing it nationally for the next 14 days. Over the next two weeks, the sides will submit further briefings on the legal merits of the executive order. Another hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6 to hear arguments on whether to issue a preliminary injunction, which would block the executive order long-term while the case proceeds.
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